Beth Hammond, Ph.D.

Beth Hammond, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor and Assessment Coordinator in the
Department of Education at the University of South Carolina Beaufort. Her research
addresses teachers' use of academic language, family language development, and differentiation
of instruction through the use of student formative and summative data.

More specifically, her research involves vocabulary development, in particular how
primary teachers perceive their role in the language development of their students
and the language model they provide for their students. Also, improved teacher practice,
which involves monitoring current research that indicates students in high-poverty
schools make the greatest gains in learning when their teachers use identifiable skills
and strategies in their instruction. Additionally, she continues to explore family
language and literacy development. And, finally, her work involves formative assessment
to facilitate learning and self-regulation. This includes the use of information from
formative assessments that enable teachers to tailor their instruction to the needs
of students while keeping each student informed of personal strengths and learning
needs.

Dr. Hammond received a B.S. in Elementary Education, specializing in Early Childhood
Education and Specific Learning Disabilities (K-12), at Florida Southern College,
Lakeland, in 1986. She earned an M.A. in Teaching and Learning: Reading at Nova Southeastern
University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2009, and then received a certificate for completing
the Program for Instructional Excellence at Florida State University, Tallahassee,
in 2011. Dr. Hammond earned a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology: Learning and Cognition
at Florida State in 2014.

She devoted 28 years to teaching pre-K or elementary school children in Florida's
Lee and Volusia county school districts. In 2011, she joined the faculty of Florida
State University as an Instructor of Classroom Assessment. Dr. Hammond was appointed
Assistant Professor and Assessment Coordinator in the Education Department at USCB
in 2015.

She has contributed to two scholarly publications and nine conference presentations
throughout the United States. She has three presentations and three scholarly articles
under review. She is also a reviewer for two refereed journals and two professional
conferences. She is a coauthor of No More Sharpening Pencils During Work Time and Other Time Wasters, part of the Not This, But That series.

Dr. Hammond received a RISE grant during the summer of 2016. The Research Initiative
for Scientific Enhancement Program (RISE) is a developmental initiative intended to
increase the capacity of students who are traditionally under-represented in the biomedical
sciences to complete doctoral degrees in these fields. RISE grants support educational
institutions with well-integrated developmental activities that serve to strengthen
students' academic preparation, research training and professional skills.

She teaches Educational Psychology, Education of the Young Child, and Curriculum Planning
and Development in Early Childhood Education. She also monitors Practicum students
during their field experiences.